1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices that are used to hold striking targets, such as boards of wood, for a person who is practicing a martial art. More particularly, the present invention relates to devices that are used to hold more than one striking target in more than one orientation.
2. Description of Related Art
In many forms of martial arts, the skill of striking an object with hands or feet is practiced. By practicing the striking of hard objects, the muscles, tendons and bones of the hands, arms, feet and legs can be conditioned and strengthened. In this manner, a martial artist can strike objects much harder than flesh and bones without becoming injured.
There is a great variety of objects that are used to train the striking skills of a martial artist. Such objects include, punching bags, kicking bags, sand bags and the like. However, one of the most widely used and popular striking targets is the wooden board. A wooden striking board is traditionally a one-foot square board of pine. The pine is typically between of an inch and one inch thick. Such boards are used because they are relatively inexpensive and only break if they receive a forceful, well aimed blow. Thus, by practicing striking wooden boards, a martial artist not only conditions their body, the martial artist also learns accuracy and how to focus a blow.
Although pine boards are inexpensive, they do cost money and must be both purchased before use and disposed of after use. For this reason, reusable striking boards that simulate wood boards have been developed. Such simulated wood boards are typically comprised of molded plastic sections that snap together along a common joint line. The two sections come apart only when struck with a blow of sufficient force that is applied directly to the center of the board along the common joint. Once the two sections are separated by a blow, the two sections can be rejoined and the simulated board can be used again. Such reusable striking targets are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,083,557 to Friedenthal, entitled Reusable Karate Striking Board.
Regardless of whether a real wooden striking board or a reusable striking board is used, the striking board must be supported when it is struck. Of course, a person practicing martial arts can have another person hold the striking board. However, a willing and able volunteer is not always available. It is for this reason that board holding devices have been developed.
There are many types and styles of board holding devices. In a simple form, board holding devices exist that hold a single striking board in a single position. Such prior art board holding devices are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 6,149,553, to Antoszewski, entitled Martial Arts Board Holding Device.
However, when a martial artist is practicing striking, that martial artist may want to practice a combination of blows, where the martial artist strikes multiple locations with different blows as part of a single offensive attack. In practicing such combination attacks, a martial artist must set up multiple striking boards at multiple different positions. In the prior art, there do exist board holding devices that hold more than one striking board. Such prior art devices are shown by U.S. Pat. No. 6,280,351 to Wong, entitled Striking Practice Device and U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,433 to Bruner, entitled Universal Martial Arts Training Apparatus. However, the positions that such prior art devices hold the striking boards are set and can only be modestly adjusted. Thus, a martial artist is limited in his/her ability to position the striking boards in different positions for different combination blow attacks.
A need therefore exists for a more robust board holding device that can hold multiple striking boards in a wide variety of positions and orientations, so that a martial artist is less restricted in practicing combination blows. This need is met by the present invention as described and claimed below.